I Forgot To Remember To Forget
by Loo-McAllister
Summary: Because Peyton Sawyer wasn't one to cheat. Because Brooke Davis wasn't one to let people in. Because Jake Jagielski wasn't one to get sober. Because Lucas Scott wasn't one to care. Because it was never supposed to mean something. But everyone knew it did
1. Flowers For A Ghost

**This was originally Degrassi but it seemed none of my readers like Degrassi.**

**This is a new story. So we changed it to One Tree Hill. I am actually writing this with the most awesome alwaysbutneverright! She is my best friend of all time and we are writing this together so yayayay!**

**I don't own One Tree Hill or anything else this story talks about!**

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue: Flowers For A Ghost<strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>You disappear with all your good intentions<br>And all I am is all I could not mention  
>Like who will bring me flowers when it's over<br>And who will give me comfort when it's cold  
>-Thriving Ivory <strong>_

They fought a lot. She was a drug addict's daughter who refused to even look at a joint; he loved skipping school just to get a little buzz. She hid her problems and put on a bright smile; he didn't care who knew of his conquests or of his scary past. She was straight laced; he spent most of his time in ISS. She didn't want to change him, but make him realize the trouble he was causing; he never cared enough to stop.

They were different. She was the teacher's daughter who only had multiple boyfriends but never went too far and he lost his innocence at the young age of eleven. She was an honor student that planned on going to medical school; he was a second year junior that got high in the parking lot. She was drug free; he missed the drug free awareness week of school. She wanted to love him; he never let her close enough to catch her.

They were best friends. Met at the age of eleven. They had English together and became quick friends. They had the same interests in movies, in books, but at the same time they were completely different. One was mothering, one was childish. One was responsible; one knew the other was there to stop her before she went too far. They shared a similar home life- a great mom, a not so great dad- and they leaned on each other for when it got bad. They shared everything they owned and loved each other like they were blood.

They met at the age of five. They had kindergarten class together and were partners in crime even then. Spitballs in the pretty blonde in the front row were amateur and soon they were druggies. They had the same experiences, and were the love 'em and leave type. They wouldn't call each other best friends that seemed too feminine to them. If you asked anyone else in the world than they would call them that. Trouble makers, drug addicts, sex addicted failing out of high school teenagers who never cared too much for anyone but their drug dealer.

Four different people, four different stories. Four people that were scared of what others would say. Four people that didn't realize until it was too late how much they truly cared. It took a break up with another guy for one to realize she had always wanted him. An accidental overdose of one for the other to realize it was okay to care. One gained new friends as replacements to fill the void. And one… one hid behind the truth. Hid behind the wall of blurriness so they wouldn't deal with the fact they lost the one thing that ever made them happy.

Peyton breathed out heavily as she walked in to the room where her brunette best friend lay. Her throat closed up at the sight of the tubes and the incessant heartbeat monitor; she knew her best friend wasn't back yet when she noticed her eyes still shut, not showing any signs of opening soon. Tears sprang to her eyes, making her best friend turn into a solemn water color painting, never moving, almost ceasing to exist.

"Brooke…" Peyton choked, dragging her feet a step before reaching back to the doorframe for support. She saw her all the time, held her hand while she lied in this same bed, why was it so hard now, she wondered. Why was it too hard to even go in the room, or look at the girl who had meant so much to her?

"Peyton, do we need to leave?" Jake got up from the chair outside the door to hold her for a moment to offer comfort. She fell easily into him, and he knew then that she had snapped, this had finally broken her.

"It seems so real now, you know? Here we are about to walk across a stage and…" She was consumed by tears, imagining the immobile picture that was painted behind her; she knew it by heart now. "My best friend is there on that bed, Jake, I can't walk alone… I can't." He ran his fingers through her hair, staring at the brunette on the bed.

"I know you can't Peyt, I know. Go talk to her though, she needs you, she needs to know she has a reason to wake up." She sniffled into his shirt, knowing he was right.

"But we both know I'm not the only reason she has to wake up… I wish he was here to talk to her…" Jake's eyes grew dark, but he knew Peyton was right and that fact killed both of them.

"Just go talk to your best friend." He offered her a kind smile before giving her a peck on the cheek. "I'll be right here if you need me." Peyton nodded in return to his gesture, wiping off a few tears before turning back to her friend. She shut the door behind her before walking across the open expanse in the hospital room that she had riddled with souvenirs she thought her friend would love; souvenirs that had been there for three months now.

She pulled up a chair next to the bed and quickly grabbed her friend's hand, praying for her to squeeze back. But when she didn't, tears poured out again and she leaned her head into her friend's side, hoping she would hug and comfort her.

"Why did you do it Brooke? Why did you take those pills and leave me?" She cried out to her, hugging her limp body. But she knew she wasn't going to get an answer, not now, yet she had work to do. She sat back down in her chair to calm herself down. When the tears ceased she took her friends hand again and mumbled, "I have to make you better, and I have to remind you why you need to wake up. I'm your best friend and I love you; I need to fulfill this job. I need you, so I'll do this for you Brooke. I will remind you of everything." She took a deep breath in, silently going back in time to a time when things seemed happy, when she and Brooke were happy.

**Just the prologue. Just to see if people actually read and like it you know… so review and let us know!**

**You disappear with all your good intentions  
>And all I am is all I could not mention<br>Like who will bring me flowers when it's over  
>And who will give me comfort when it's cold<strong>

**She took a plane to somewhere out in space**  
><strong>To start a life and maybe change the world<strong>  
><strong>See I never meant for you to have to crawl<strong>  
><strong>No I never meant to let you go at all<strong>

**Oh no, Oh no**

**Don't ever say goodbye**

**See my head aches from all this thinkin'**  
><strong>Feels like a ship God, God knows I'm sinkin'<strong>  
><strong>Wonder what you do and where it is you stay<strong>  
><strong>These questions like a whirlwind, they carry me away<strong>

**And I said**  
><strong>Who will bring me flowers when it's over<strong>  
><strong>And who will give me comfort when it's cold<strong>  
><strong>And who will I belong to when the day just won't give in<strong>  
><strong>And who will tell me how it ends and how it all begins<strong>

**oh, oh no, yeah**

**Don't ever say goodbye**

**And I'm only human**  
><strong>I said I'm only human<strong>  
><strong>I'm only human<strong>  
><strong>I said I'm only human<strong>  
><strong>I'm only human<strong>  
><strong>I said I'm only human, I'm human, I'm human<strong>


	2. Houdini

**This is Chapter One! :D Alwaysbutneverright here! I hope you like it!**

**Basically, she's telling the story to Brooke, but we're in the story. I hope that makes sense. We're reliving it with her, but from third person… Don't hate.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Houdini<strong>

* * *

><p><em>I've got shackles on, my words are tied.<em>_  
><em>_Fear can make you compromise,  
>With the lights turned up, it's hard to hide.<br>Sometimes I want to disappear.  
>-Foster The People <em>

Peyton walked into her new second period, and looked around, unsure of who was in the class. This was video broadcasting, something Peyton had decided sounded fun last year when she was signing up for classes. Now she dreaded it and wondered why she ever signed up for something so stupid. She sat down in the first chair she saw, and to her dismay none of the people who walked into the class was a familiar face. "My luck," she mumbled to herself as her table piled full of jocks. This wasn't her scene, she didn't belong here. The teacher choice, Ms. Jacobs didn't cheer her up either, even though she knew she would get along swimmingly with her. Her mom made sure of that, being a teacher at Tree Hill she did that sort of stuff to Peyton. Her teacher started talking and the only thing Peyton could hear were the seniors next to her talking about how hot she was.

Peyton was so happy to be there…

"How was your day, sweetie? Do you like your classes?" Peyton's mom smiled at her blonde daughter before beginning to write on the board.

"Mom I **hate** my second period. Can't I switch out or something? I mean, your best friend is an assistant principle for Christ's sake. It shouldn't be –," Her mom stopped writing on the white board, and turned to her, glaring.

"Peyton Alexis Sawyer, don't you **dare** speak to me like that again. You chose that class so you're just going to have to suck it up and make new friends." She returned to the board again, writing directions for her fashion class.

"Mom, you're a teacher. You don't have to make friends with jerks like them. Whatever, I guess." She slammed down her pen and picked up her purse to leave, but was caught at the door by the sound of her mother's voice.

"There's bound to be someone in there you could get along with, Peyton." Peyton rolled her eyes and mumbled:

"I highly doubt that." She then left her mother alone to drive home.

* * *

><p>"I have to switch my second period, which will mess up all my classes," Brooke groaned to Peyton, who didn't seem to look sad for her friend. Brooke looked at her, slightly pissed off by her happiness. Peyton laughed at the face she made, which caused Brooke to roll her eyes and receive a jab in the side from Peyton's elbow.<p>

"Oh, don't be so mopey; I have the perfect solution for **all** your problems." Peyton smiled at her best friend who didn't seem to be buying her charade.

"And what would that be?" She asked, nonchalantly, looking off down the hallway at a blonde boy who seemed to be sort of lost, not paying attention to the world.

"Well, my second period sucks because I have no friends. You are second periodless. BINGO!" She shouted, making weird hand gestures as she spoke. "WE HAVE A WINNER!" She smiled at Brooke, who seemed to absentmindedly respond, looking off down the hallway.

"I'll try. That's better than me getting into a class by myself too."

* * *

><p>Peyton drug her feet to her second period, dreading having to sit between the jocks and the druggies with the only girl in the class that wouldn't even talk. As she looked up from the ground she saw a brunette that was unfamiliar to the hallway during this time.<p>

"Where are you going, Red?" Peyton said gloomily to her best friend. Brooke just smiled back broadly.

Over the summer, Brooke had dyed her dark hair burgundy and had donned the nickname Red from a few of her friends. Soon the dye faded but for some reason the name stuck.

"You're second period, Weasley." She started laughing when Peyton squealed.

Brooke and Peyton were Harry Potter fanatics. Anything Harry Potter, they knew. It was how they had grown so close growing up. They shared the love of Harry Potter and Peyton was completely in love with Ron Weasley.

"Hell yeah! I have a friend now!" Peyton did a ridiculous victory dance and they laughed until they got in the classroom. Brooke glanced at two troublemakers in the corner of the room nearest to where Peyton insisted they sit.

"Who are they?" Brooke whispered to Peyton, and she responded with a shrug.

"Hell if I know. I've only been in their group," she pointed to a big group of Hispanics.

"Nice, what about me?" Peyton gave Brooke a funny look.

"Ask Ms. Jacobs, but I think we're getting groups next week."

"I hope I don't get in to their group" Brooke glanced back at the blonde who was smirking at her.

She replied with her middle finger.

* * *

><p>"What video do you guys want to do?" Peyton sat backwards on her seat looking at the two boys whose names she'd already forgotten.<p>

"Something badass," the one with blonde hair stated. Though their hair hardly differed at all, this is what Peyton held onto appearance wise. One was blonde, one was brunette. Their eyes were the same green, or close enough that she didn't care enough to look at their proper shades, and they were the same height. They were both pretty adorable, so all she had to hold onto to classify them was there half inch hair length and shade difference. She was proud of herself for noticing, or else she would have never been able to think straight.

"Yeah dude," the brunette said, laughing along with the other.

"Uh, that doesn't help. Let's write our names on this sheet, maybe that will help." They gave her a funky look but she turned and scrawled hers and Brookes name on the paper. When she saw Brooke's name, she frowned, wondering where she had been for the last three days. She kept saying she was sick, which wasn't really that big of a deal to Brooke, Brooke was always sick. Peyton was worried, though, every time, and her worry grew with everyday. She couldn't help but frown at the name.

"I said my name is Jake. Damn, is that frizzy hair getting in your ears?" The one with the brunette laughed but Peyton stiffened up. Her hair was a sore spot, it's out of control curls were something that she had learned to live with, but that taunting was still something that stung every time it hit, leaving a new bruise for her to avoid touching. She scrawled Jake on the paper, then looked back at him, waiting for the rest.

"Last name?" She asked impatiently after a minute or so, not understanding why he didn't comprehend.

"Jagielski. J-a-g-i-e-l-s-k-i." He sat back in his chair, nudging the blond haired boy in the side.

"Lucas Scott, I'm pretty sure you can figure that one out." He laughed with Jake, and Peyton glared.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can asshole. Now what movie should we make fun of?" Peyton leaned forward, looking at her hands while they all thought. '_This isn't my scene_,' she reminded herself over and over again, and asked herself the same question, '_why am I here, where is Brooke?_' She was pulled out of her thinking as the bell rang for class change.

Right as the bell rang, though, the boys shouted something at Peyton, a movie idea she supposed, and in the hustle she nodded her head and said okay before leaving her class to head to the next.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hello?<em>" Brooke's gravelly voice made Peyton's heart sink even more when her friend coughed into the phone.

"Random," Peyton started, throwing a glare at the two guys throwing the camera, "this wasn't my choice, but uh… If you had to choose a 'Twilight' character, who would you be?" She imagined the scowl Brooke gave when she said the name.

"_Uh, do I really have to pick?"_ Peyton glanced back at the boys who were now running on the bleachers. She rolled her eyes at Brooke and the boys.

"Yes, you have to choose now. We're supposed to be filming for broadcasting; we need to know who you are so we can kill you off." The boy with the brunette hair snickered at her comment.

"What's going on?" He impatiently asked her.

"Nothing, Lucas." He huffed at her impatient response.

"It's Jake." There was a faint sound of laughter behind Peyton as the real Lucas fell from the bleachers.

"_Who are Lucas and Jake? Why do I have to die?_" Brooke was stuck within all the confusion this phone call had put her in.

"They're the two guys that sit in the chairs in the corner. But that doesn't matter. What matters is my best brunette buddy has been out for almost two weeks and doesn't sound like she's coming back soon. That being said, we're going to have to kill her off so she doesn't have many parts to be in when she comes back." Peyton rolled her eyes at the protests behind her. "So choose now, I have to go."

"_It doesn't matter. I guess just –,"_ Brooke was cut off by some random guy on the line.

"Who is this?" His voice was deep, and he laughed like a little kid.

"_Brooke_," she immediately responded, getting annoyed by everything.

"**Wow**," he over emphasized, making Brooke roll her eyes, "that helps." Suddenly she heard Peyton squealing out of panic in the background and she felt bad for leaving her alone with all this.

"_What other answer were you looking for? I sit right in front of you every day. Hand the phone to Peyton._" She was growing angrier with this kid.

"Uh, she's a little preoccupied with Jake, can I take a message?" He laughed at his own joke; it made Brooke roll her eyes.

"_Bye_," she said angrily, and then all he heard was a click, the line went dead. He turned to look at Peyton.

"Your friend is a bit –,"

"Shut up, you prick! Let's get to work before we fail." She grabbed her phone and the camera from Lucas, noticing the worried looks the two boys passed between each other.

"**Wow**, okay, camera Nazi." Lucas laughed again at his own joke, but this time Jake joined in with him.

"Sorry, I care about my grade." She responded, annoyed.

"Brooke has a nice ass." Lucas said randomly, leaning against the railing.

"Yeah, and frizzy hair, over here doesn't have one." Jake laughed, making Peyton's insides ache a bit. She would never tell him, but it actually hurt when he called her that. Her hair was probably the only thing she was obsessively insecure about.

"Ha, funny, Jake. Let's get to work; I really don't want to fail."

* * *

><p>"I HATE working with this group. Tell me you're coming back soon..." Peyton groaned into the phone while drawing a squirrel on her foot out of pure boredom.<p>

"_Funny, I was about to tell you I was coming tomorrow._" Peyton squealed, dropping the pen on the floor.

"Oh my goodness, I am thrilled! Dude, you have to see this squirrel I drew on my foot." Peyton admired her foot drawing while Brooke's head was spinning.

"_Did you just say dude?_" Peyton never said dude... something was wrong.

"Oops, Lucas and Jake say it a lot. Well more Lucas than Jake. I must have gotten it from them." Peyton shrugged even though she knew her friend wouldn't be able to see.

"_Who knew having this 55 minute long class for 2 weeks would change you so much..._" Brooke laughed while Peyton froze.

"Don't say that. I haven't changed... I just said dude." Peyton sat there annoyed.

"_Peyt, I know. I was kidding... are you okay?_" Peyton was acting different. Something was wrong, something she wasn't telling Brooke.

"I'm fine. I have to go though. Sorry. See you tomorrow. Bye." Before Brooke could respond the line went silent, and she just stared at her phone, worried sick.

* * *

><p>"Is that a real tattoo?" Peyton and Brooke rolled their eyes at Lucas, who obviously didn't know what pens were.<p>

"Yea, isn't it nifty?" Peyton wiggled her foot at Jake and Lucas while Brooke suppressed a laugh.

"Why would you want to get a tattoo of a squirrel on your foot? That is the most stupid idea I've ever heard." Jake asked, while Peyton and Brooke looked at each other with a smile only two best friends could share, one that screamed hilarity yet showed the utmost control.

"I think it looks cool. It's totally Peyt, random and stuff." Brooke laughed, turning back to the vocabulary she would always end up doing in that class. Jake and Lucas looked at each other, then back to Peyton's foot.

"It's frizzy like her too. You know, you need a nickname. Frizzy-opolis. That's the one I choose." Jake busted out laughing while Lucas attempted to think of a better one. Peyton's insides flipped again at Jake's not so funny joke. She chewed on her bottom lip and set her foot down, pulling her hair back, feeling insecure. She wished Brooke would save her and say something, but the brunette was lost in her own world, listening to God knows what.

"I just like frizzy hair. All the nicknames are stupid anyway." Peyton smiled to herself at Lucas's somewhat save. It wasn't as harsh, so it made her feel better, less taunted. But Brooke turned around, glaring at Lucas and Jake.

"How about no nickname, okay? It's stupid and immature." She gave them both a once over and started writing furiously again while Peyton held in a laugh. Lucas, though, was turning red, and Jake just rolled his eyes and walked over to the Hispanics to talk about weed.

"You know, Brooke, or whatever your name is, it was a joke. You really need to chill and stop being a psycho bitch." Peyton went into panic mode. It was that moment for her when you aren't sure whether or not to get into it, or fight until the death. This was her best friend, but this was also Brooke Davis. If there was an independent woman out there, it was Brooke, and Peyton didn't want to overstep that, but she couldn't help but feel protectiveness over her. They were basically sisters. But before she could even sort through her thoughts Brooke and Lucas were standing up, and Brooke was screaming.

"You're calling me crazy? What the hell, Lucas, this is idiotic! I told you to stop it with the nicknames and you know I'm right! So don't call me crazy when I was defending my best friend!" The class had all begun to stare in their direction.

It was something you didn't talk about with Brooke. Don't tell her she was crazy, don't tell her she was psycho, don't tell her she was bipolar, don't tell her she was addicted. Everyone knew that. She will fight you all the way and make you take it back.

"Oh, yeah Brooke, like randomly turning around and screaming when it didn't even seem like you were in the conversation isn't crazy. My bad, how did I not see it before? You know, you really are crazy, and now all these little people are watching…" He smiled while Brooke turned her head to look at all the people, and then she smirked turning back to Lucas.

"Fuck them," was all she said before sitting back down to finish her vocabulary.

"You two are pathetic." Lucas shook his head before walking over to Jake who fist bumped with him in a congratulatory way.

"Thanks, Paul." Peyton mumbled, leaning her back into the table.

"Welcome, Lennon." Brooke mumbled through gritted teeth back at Peyton. Lucas was an arrogant son of a bitch and Brooke felt the heat course through her body as she spoke to him, and even now as she thought about their encounter.

Brooke had packed up just in time for the bell to ring for class change, and she stood up and swung her bookbag on her back, she heard a thud.

"Ow, bitch, watch wear you throw that thing." She heard the voice that made a shiver go down her spine, but when she looked into his eyes, she wasn't sure what she saw. But as he passed an electric current shot through her that made her grit her teeth.

"What an ass," she mumbled more to herself than anyone, but Peyton still responded.

"Who?"

"Lucas Scott." Peyton rolled her eyes at Brooke as they walked together to their group of real friends, not these boys they sat next to in a dumb class.

**Review!**

**Written by: alwaysbutneverright**

**Rise above, gonna start the war!****  
><strong>**Oh, what you want, what you need, what'd you come here for?****  
><strong>**Well, an eye for an eye and an 'f' for fight****  
><strong>**They're taking me down as the prisoners riot**

**Got shackles on, my words are tied****  
><strong>**Fear can make you compromise****  
><strong>**With the lights turned up, it's hard to hide****  
><strong>**Sometimes I want to disappear**

**When I feel kinda bad and don't want to stress****  
><strong>**I just pass it off on ability****  
><strong>**Well you got what you want, what you never knew****  
><strong>**It's a perfect gift from me to you**

**Yeah yeah yeah**

**Got shackles on, my words are tied****  
><strong>**Fear can make you compromise****  
><strong>**With the lights turned up, it's hard to hide****  
><strong>**Sometimes I want to disappear**

**Courtesy of ****  
><strong>**(Raise up to your ability)****  
><strong>**You never knew what I could find****  
><strong>**What could come when we realize****  
><strong>**You ain't the one with the compromise**

**(Raise up to your ability)****  
><strong>**Yeah I'm scared but I'll disappear****  
><strong>**Running around before I promise you****  
><strong>**Like he's someone that lost his way**

**(Raise up to your ability)****  
><strong>**I know that you wanna****  
><strong>**Cause it was easy to see****  
><strong>**Of my ability**

**(Raise up to your ability)****  
><strong>**Yeah you're undecided****  
><strong>**Yeah so I can see it****  
><strong>**Yeah I'm gonna wipe your mind**

**Focus on your ability****  
><strong>**Focus on your ability****  
><strong>**Now focus on your ability****  
><strong>**Focus on your ability**

**Then they can't get what they want to steal****  
><strong>**They can't get what they want to steal**


	3. All She Wrote

**Hola friends. This is Loo-McAllister! Gracias for all the reviews and story alerts.**

**So since alwaysbutneverright and I are righting this together, I thought I would say is that my chapters will have more about Brooke while hers will have more to do with Peyton.**

**You will see her next chapter of course.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: All She Wrote<strong>

* * *

><p><em>She wanders all alone<em>_  
><em>_This is all, she's ever really known__  
><em>_A stranger in her skin__  
><em>_Nothing more, it's all she's ever been__  
><em>_She spills these words across the page__  
><em>_It helps to ease the pain, and she cries  
>-Ross Copperman<em>

"Man it was fucking hilarious. My step brother got my mom drunk over the weekend and we got this picture of her funneling." Jake laughed with Lucas joining in as they waited for Ms. Jacobs to come in and tell them they could start working.

"That's so immature," Brooke rolled her eyes and Lucas glared at her.

"We weren't speaking to you."

"Trust me everyone can hear every word you say and it is awful."

"Whatever little miss goody two shoes. At least we know how to have fun," Lucas replied.

"I don't need to be drunk and high to have fun." Brooke retorted.

"No, you just wiggle the stick that is up your ass just a little and your good right?" Lucas smirked and Brooke went to respond when Ms. Jacobs walked in.

"Okay, guys let's try to finish filming today please," Brooke sent Lucas one last glare before standing up and walking to snatch the camera out of Peyton's hand.

"Let's get this project over with."

"You have a nice ass Brooke Davis," Lucas called after her.

"Do you just find ways to piss people off?"

"No, most people like me. You just have this hatred going on." Lucas replied from behind her.

"Is she always this angry?" Jake asked curious to Peyton who nodded.

"Pretty much."

"How do you handle it?" Lucas asked loudly.

"Go to hell, Scott." Brooke called from ahead of them.

Brooke sat at a table in the lunch room by herself with Lucas while she waited for Peyton and Jake to hurry with getting the tripod.

"So, why are you so angry?"

"Leave me alone."

"No, I really want to know. Why do you hate everything you look at?"

Brooke pulled her black jacket tighter around her. "I have my reasons."

"Are you going to tell me them?" Lucas asked.

"No."

"You guys ready?" Brooke nodded taking her spot as Peyton set the camera up and Lucas looked at Brooke curiously.

She was different. She had the look that should make her popular. She was into sports. She had the wardrobe of a stoner which was surprising saying as she was so damn straight laced. She had the brains of a nerd. It was like someone took a piece of every clique you could find and made Brooke Davis. He would have to admit they wrapped her in a pretty good looking package.

"Jake, you stand here." Peyton grabbed Jake's sleeve and pulled him across from Brooke, "Lucas, you stand here."

She put Lucas next to Brooke and she groaned, "Why do I have to stand next to him? He reeks of weed."

"Oh, so you know what it smells like?" Lucas quipped.

"I have an idea." She hissed.

"Damn, you two are annoying," Jake commented slumping onto a bench and Peyton groaned.

"Excuse me, we are supposed to be doing a video here," Peyton announced.

"No one truly cares, frizzy hair." Lucas replied.

Peyton glared and instantly started to toy with her hair.

"Will you stop with the damn hair jokes?" Brooke snapped tired of the incessant noise of Lucas' voice.

"We are never going to finish this." Peyton grumbled to herself.

"You really thought we would?" Jake questioned conversationally as Peyton slumped down next to him.

"I wanted too, but those two," Peyton gestured towards Brooke and Lucas.

"Fuck you, little miss goody two shoes. You don't know anything about me." Lucas grumbled at her.

"I know you are a loser," Brooke replied going toe to toe with him.

"At least I have a life. What do you do? Study with your friend over here."

"Both of you shut up," Jake groaned putting his head on the table and Peyton nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, seriously guys, I don't want to get a bad grade so how about we just, you know, not yell at each other for ten minutes tops and get this video finished. Then you two can fight and yell all you want."

"Fine," Brooke mumbled.

"How can you two hate each other this much? You have been around each other for two days…" Peyton wondered aloud.

"He's a prick." Brooke tossed a glare towards Lucas who spat back.

"She's a bitch."

"At least you two know it," The quiet girl that they had forgotten was there mumbled gaining an identical glare from both Lucas and Brooke.

"How about you shut the fuck up." Lucas suggested.

"Don't talk to her like that." Brooke demanded.

"I just wanted to finish the video…" Peyton whimpered laying her head on the table.

* * *

><p>"Brooke," Brooke looked up at her teacher.<p>

"Yes?"

"Did you do your homework?" She asked with an angry tone.

"Oh, um…" Brooke looked around at every one who stared at her. She could say she lost it, that she just happened to misplace it, but honestly she just didn't see the point. "No."

"Figures," someone mumbled under their breath from behind her as the teacher stomped away. Brooke turned to glare at a boy she had grown to hate over the years.

"Do you have a problem?" She asked annoyed.

His friends chuckled around him and Brooke turned her heated gaze to them.

"Do any of you have a problem? Because, if you do, please let me know so I can change it because I would hate to have you of all people uncomfortable," Brooke snapped and they all grumbled different things under their breath.

"They were right when they called you a psycho bitch. You're just like you-"

"If you're smart you won't finish that sentence," Ian Kellerman growled from his seat behind her.

Many were intimidated by Kellerman. These boys were no different. They quickly shut their mouths and went back to their work. Ian Kellerman was an arrogant son of a bitch that just so happened to be Brooke's step brother. They shared a birthday, six hours apart. They met only months ago when her mom married his dad. She knew of him, knew of him from around school and had no idea his dad was the same man that had stolen her mother's heart. She was happy for it because her mom was a lot happier she just didn't get along with the other two additions to the family; a sophomore girl who seemed to hate Brooke for no apparent reason… and a boy. He was a senior and looked at Brooke weird whenever she walked into the room.

She didn't know why out of everyone she got so close to Kellerman, but she did. He slowly became a real brother to her and she was definitely thankful that he was there at all times.

"Thanks twin" Brooke mumbled as she turned back to her book.

Brooke Davis used to be happy. The one you could always find smiling; the one that could brighten your day. She wasn't positive when that changed. She just knew it did. Brooke tried her best to put on a bright smile just like always but sometimes it was so draining and she forgot that she was supposed to be happy and she would snap at people. There were times where she just wanted to scream, throw things, and hurt people. She knew she shouldn't feel this way, and it made her sick at what she felt all the time.

"What?" Brooke caught the looks Rachel, Nathan, and Ian were sharing.

"Are you okay, Cookie?" Nathan asked her.

Nathan Sawyer, Peyton's twin brother, had always been Brooke's closest guy friend. They met when they were eleven but didn't get close until gym eighth grade. She would always stick around him because she didn't really know anyone in that class. Then, he went and lost weight, gained muscle and became the star basketball player. He was one of a kind. He didn't let his skyrocketed popularity go to his head and knew who his true friends were.

"Why would I not be?" Brooke replied, placing a smile on her face.

"You just seem different this year, that's all," Rachel responded.

Rachel Gatina was… Rachel. It was the only way to describe her. Brooke loved her to death but she did get around a bit. Brooke knew of her red headed friends feelings towards her step brother, Ian, but never said anything of it.

She met Rachel the exact same time she met Peyton. They all had sixth grade literature together. She wasn't overly close to Rachel that year. Honestly, she wasn't overly close to Peyton either. That class was where she met some of her closest friends; it just took her a few years to realize it.

She got close to Rachel in eighth grade when once again her, Peyton, and Rachel got math together and had to always work together. They slowly became best friends. Best friends who knew everything of each other.

"I mean we love you B, we do, but…" Ian trailed off hoping Rachel would continue.

"How is everything Brooke?" Rachel asked.

"You guys are acting like therapists." Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you just need to talk to someone." Nathan advised.

Brooke looked at them confused. She felt cornered and felt her defensive walls slowly crawled over her.

"Why don't you mind own business?"

"You are my business, Brooke." Ian retorted, and Brooke glared at him.

"Brooke, we aren't trying to be mean-"

"Stop, don't act like you know anything. I'm fine, I am perfectly fucking fine." Brooke snapped putting her head back in her book not missing the once again looks shared by her friends.

Brooke told herself to be happy. She told herself that she wasn't holding on by a string. She even started to believe it. She didn't know her friends knew the string she held was a lot thinner than she had imagined.

* * *

><p>"I'm home!" Brooke announced to the big house and got no response.<p>

She walked through the house to find her mother and Hannah hanging out together.

"I'm home…" Brooke repeated.

"Sorry, we must have just not heard you. We were having so much fun in here!" Hannah smirked at her and Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Whatever."

"Be nice to your sister, Brooke." Her mom snapped.

"Trust me, she isn't my sister." Brooke said sadly turning around and going up the stairs slamming the door. She locked herself in her room just like she always did. She always was alone.

**It's short but I just was giving an idea of Brooke's daily routine. Next chapter will be more Peyton centered.**

**She wanders all alone****  
><strong>**This is all, she's ever really known****  
><strong>**A stranger in her skin****  
><strong>**Nothing more, it's all she's ever been****  
><strong>**She spills these words across the page****  
><strong>**It helps to ease the pain, and she cries**

**Nobody out there****  
><strong>**Wants to understand****  
><strong>**Nobody out there****  
><strong>**Takes me as I am****  
><strong>**I'm feeling alone here****  
><strong>**I know there's got to be****  
><strong>**Somebody somewhere****  
><strong>**That's all she wrote**

**She always feels so small****  
><strong>**Pushed aside, a flower on the wall****  
><strong>**They never ask her name****  
><strong>**No one sees, the girl without a face****  
><strong>**She spills these words across the page****  
><strong>**It helps to ease the pain, and she cries**

**Nobody out there****  
><strong>**Wants to understand****  
><strong>**Nobody out there****  
><strong>**Takes me as I am****  
><strong>**I'm feeling alone here****  
><strong>**I know there's got to be****  
><strong>**Somebody somewhere****  
><strong>**Thats all she wrote**

**Her great escape****  
><strong>**She found her place****  
><strong>**And she's never gonna be the same****  
><strong>**It's beautiful****  
><strong>**Cuz now she knows**

**There's somebody out there****  
><strong>**Who wants to understand****  
><strong>**There's somebody out there****  
><strong>**Who takes me as I am****  
><strong>**I'm feeling at home here****  
><strong>**I knew there had to be****  
><strong>**Somebody somewhere****  
><strong>


	4. Human

**Alwaysbutneverright here! I hate this chapter... but I wanted to give a few insights on stuffies. Enjoy it!**

**Hapy reading!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Human<strong>

* * *

><p><em>But believe me, I'm not helpless I just<em>_  
><em>_Need someone to love.__  
><em>_So my situation's rough,__  
><em>_But that just makes me a dumb human,__  
><em>_Like you.  
>-Darren Criss<em>

Peyton was the type of girl who named her animals after Disney characters, not out of childish fantasies, but because that's who she was, someone different. Jake gained this view of her in all of ten minutes of listening to her talk to Brooke, the view that she was different. He didn't know what to make of it, he'd pegged her differently earlier, but now he was confused. Now he realized this girl would be harder to figure out than he'd ever anticipated.

_A blonde, curly-haired girl walked into the room jumping up and down with a brunette girl Jake had never seen before; the blonde had a pretty face and wore a different style of clothing every day. She walked in nervously every day as well, but today was different. Jake didn't know what force made him turn his head to Lucas and open his mouth, but here he found himself with words flowing out of him._

"_I'm going to date her one day, just watch me." He figured she would put out; the quiet ones surprised you the most. All he wanted was another slam piece when he was done with his current one. Sure they had been on and off for four years now, but he hardly saw it as anything more than having the ability to have a steady, frequent fuck. Jake didn't date, Jake didn't get involved, Jake didn't care, Jake never wanted to commit, and Jake was fine with all of it._

"_Who, dude?" Lucas laughed, looking around the room for a possible hott girl he had missed._

"_I think her name is Peyton, but I'm not sure." Jake looked at her as she laughed with the brunette. She was quiet; he knew that from watching her sit in front of him every day. But with this girl she was loud and excitable; the change in attitude threw him off so completely that Lucas had to repeat himself several times until Jake even acknowledged he said anything._

"_Dude, I asked which one that was." Lucas waved a hand in his face, making Jake slowly point to the bouncing blonde with nice breasts. "Good choice, dude. The brown-haired one has a nice ass, I got dibs." Jake laughed in his direction, but was entranced by her sudden change in demeanor. This wasn't the Peyton he'd been so oddly turned on to. Quiet blondes weren't his thing; he didn't like a girl who was dumber than a doorknob, which he always assumed the quiet to be naïve in a way. But this girl was far from it, she seemed in her element now. And her element seemed to be most comforting to her when her mouth was open._

"Meeko pooped all over my mom's room last night. I'm probably in a lot of trouble…" Peyton bit her lip as Brooke just stared at the computer screen completely lost as to what Peyton was doing.

"I'm sorry, but it's really not your fault now is it?" Brooke was annoyed as she waited for her piece of crap phone to turn on. She didn't understand what was going on in her video class, she didn't understand why the two boys in the group didn't do anything and were currently underneath the counter, and she didn't understand why every time she set down her phone it decided it was funny to shut off.

"Yes, I know, but everything is my fault." Peyton laughed to herself as she continued editing their video. She did this all the time at her house, not that she'd openly admit that to people, but she was good when it came to computers, it was always something she could learn in two minutes and excel at. When it came time for editing the group's video, she grudgingly raised her hand to do it when she saw nobody else make the effort to lift a finger. She came to the conclusion that if she were to look for a bright side, the brightest one would be that despite the poor acting and cooperation of the group, she at least had full control over the editing, something that would stave off an awaiting panic attack.

"I'm sorry." Brooke noncommittally answered, staring at her blinking phone screen. When she moved to cross her leg she felt it hit a very solid object, despite the fact that the wall was more than three feet away.

"Ow, you bitch, that was my shoulder." A very annoyed Lucas stuck his head out from under the table to glare at her.

"Yes, because I did that on purpose, you ass." She snarled at him, looking back to her phone that was finally coming to terms with itself.

"You probably did, you stuck up bitch." Lucas laughed before placing himself back under the table, receiving a groan from Peyton.

"I really wish you two would shut up! Like honestly, this is getting ridiculous." Lucas and Jake slid out from under the table to look at Peyton who was steaming. Brooke didn't want to look, Brooke didn't care to look. Lucas was an ass, that wasn't her fault.

"You're just as stuck up too, frizzy hair Fred. You don't have to be such a bitch about everything. We all know you're a camera nazi, but I didn't know you had to run everyone's lives as well." He lifted his hand to fist bump Jake, but Jake seemed to hesitate, looking at Peyton hard in the face. He saw the hurt, but he didn't see the yelling from the brunette that was about to happen.

"Lucas, you are the biggest asshole in the universe. How many times do I have to tell you to shove it with the nicknames! You have no right saying any of that to her. You're such an inconsiderate jerk!" She jumped out of her seat as Lucas and Jake crawled out from under the table.

"You're a frigid bitch and I'm surprised you even have a friend that is nice to you." And before Jake or Peyton could stop it, Brooke was shoving Lucas away from her, realeasing a furious growl.

"I hate you, Lucas Scott!" She screamed, receiving a slight shove back.

As Jake started ripping Lucas away and taking him to the other room he mumbled, "And I hate you Brooke Davis."

Peyton, completely shocked by the turn of events, slammed the door shut behind the two guys to glare at Brooke.

"And what the hell was that, huh? Care to explain, because there was so much anger and tension in that that I'm even at a complete loss as to where it came from." Peyton crossed her arms over her chest as Brooke bit her lip and sat back down.

"He's an ass, okay? He shouldn't talk to you like that, no one should! Especially when they don't know what goes on at home, Peyton. You shouldn't take that! You sat there and didn't even fight! Those boys are going to run all over you, and that's not fair." Peyton rolled her eyes at Brooke's scowl before sitting back down to continue the video editing.

"Life's not fair, Brookie Cookie. Remember when you'd say that?" She turned to look at her friend but Brooke was looking elsewhere, probably just as lost somewhere else as well.

* * *

><p>"Mouth, come over." Peyton groaned into the phone and hid herself under the sheets.<p>

"_Why_?" Peyton huffed and rolled her eyes. She rolled over in the bed, and pressed the phone to her other ear.

"I need my best friend." She stared at the wall in her ex-stepdad's room. Her mom and current step-dad decided it would be fun to go on a trip without her and Nathan… If this whole situation wasn't confusing, she didn't know what was.

"_Call Brooke_." She heard the annoying noise Mouth's car makes when you open the door. She couldn't call Brooke, Brooke's phone didn't work... She buried her face in the pillow and mumbled his name. "_Calm down, Peyt. I'm on my way. Where to, exactly, I'm not sure, but I'm heading there._" She exhaled slowly as the sound of the car being brought to life buzzed in her ear. Her hair was a mess, she was in pajamas, yet all she cared about was that Mouth was coming over. She was going to be cheered up.

"Travis's house, near Tree Hill." He mumbled okay and hung up, leaving her to walk into the bathroom to throw up her breakfast.

"So why am I here?" Mouth jokingly asked, lazily throwing an arm over Peyton's shoulders. She snuggled into him and mumbled incoherent things. "Peyt, you can't ask me to come over here, worrying me, and then not tell me why I'm over." He gave her a quizzical look when she finally looked up at him.

"Last night Julian told me he likes me…" He raised his eyebrows at her and dog whistled.

"Wow, that's awkward." Peyton buried her face into his chest and held on to him for dear life. She knew what she was about to say would set him off. With her, Mouth was like that.

"What's more awkward is that I said it back." His body stiffened, and she tensed; she knew he didn't approve, he never did.

"Since when?" She sighed, at least he said something that wasn't yelling.

"Never. I just said it. It was such a weird situation. I told him I liked tacos and he confesses to liking me. I mean how was I supposed to respond?" She sat up, frustrated with herself. Mouth annoyingly chuckled at her.

"Someone has their self in a hole." He rubbed her shoulder and looked into her eyes. She nodded her head back into his chest. "Peyt, you don't like him so you should tell him that." He slightly shook her, and she wrapped her arms around him.

From the outside, you would assume they were two lovesick teenagers dating, but from the inside you would know it was anything but. Mouth called himself her part-time boyfriend for a reason. When she was hurt he was the man she ran to. It wasn't an attraction or a want that you would have for a crush or lover; it was a love that two best friends have. One that Peyton considered hard to find between a boy and a girl. She smiled to herself despite the odd situation.

"Hey, you two love birds." Peyton's twin brother, Nathan walked up, laughing and fist bumping Mouth. "What's wrong this time Peyt?" He sat on the swing with them and looked out over the small river that cut through the woods. It was peaceful at Travis's, and he didn't mind going. Travis was basically like a father to him and Peyton, it was always nice to see him.

"Boy tells girl he likes her, girl is too nice to turn him down so she **lies** to cover it up. Girl is in hole, and girl is without ladder." Mouth laughed with Nathan and Peyton grumbled, hoisting herself off the swing.

"You two are mean! I am in distress, _distress_ I tell you!" The boys began laughing at her as she angrily stomped around the yard. "And now you're laughing? What the hell? I'm going." She crossed her arms over her chest and began walking down by the river. She didn't intend to go anywhere, but she walked.

"I'll go after her…" Mouth stood up and began walking behind her, but Nathan called out to him.

"Which guy?" Mouth shook his head at him and sighed.

"Julian." A look crossed over Nathan's face when he recalled who it was. Julian was awkward, annoying, and a jerk. His last girlfriend became his ex because he couldn't pick her over his Xbox. He knew Peyton would date him because she felt sorry for him, but he didn't want her to hurt, even if she acted like it didn't.

"Go get her, tiger. I'll see you later. I'm going down to the shooting range with Travis." Mouth nodded and Nathan got up and disappeared into the house as Mouth disappeared in the woods.

"Peyton, where are you?" He stumbled through the trail that was poorly cut, but he knew she wouldn't venture off of it without someone. She wasn't that stupid, but he found her being ridiculously close at this point.

"Here." He heard her mumble from close by the river and when he turned she was sitting, arms still crossed on her chest, on a log. He always thought she was beautiful, frizzy hair and all, yet he wouldn't go for her. He wasn't sure half the time if he could handle having her as a girlfriend, but she was his best friend and he wouldn't screw that up. Sure he didn't tell her some things, but he wanted to protect her. Always has wanted to and always will. That's the way the cookie crumbles, he supposed.

"Peyt, you can't run away from all your problems." She nodded, sniffling, and he sat down next to her. "I know you, and I know what you're going to end up doing. It's not right, you know. Not for him and not for you." She looked at him and tears welled up in her eyes. He knew her game because it'd happened almost every single time someone said they liked her. She knew it, and he knew it. She was going to end up dating him. Though most relationships like that normally lasted a month with her, it was still a month wasted with someone else, someone she didn't even like.

"I'm tired of pretending I like people, but I can't be mean… I can't, Mouth. It's gotten to the point where our friendship will either be awkward or nonexistent." He nodded his head and swung an arm around her shoulders, letting her cry into his chest.

"Being mean isn't really mean if you're telling the honest truth. Mean is when you lie about it…" She lifted her head to look at him, knowing he probably got that bit of advice from his mom, he always does. She admired his mom; she was a fantastic woman who constantly got the wrong hand of cards dealt to her. But in that she's made herself a better, all knowing woman, and Peyton loved that.

"Okay, okay… I'll try to tell him, but I make no promises." Mouth nodded, knowing very well that she wouldn't tell him, but he took it anyway. They sat there together for an hour… just enjoying each other's company by the river.

**Don't hate me. :/**

**Sorry if it wad bland or anything. I just wanted to show you how much she wubs Mouth! (:**

**Review? It makes us happy when you do! :)**

**I feel like a loser****  
><strong>**I feel like I've lost****  
><strong>**I feel like I'm not so sure if I feel anything at all****  
><strong>**But believe me, I'm not helpless I just****  
><strong>**Need someone to love****  
><strong>**So my situation's rough****  
><strong>**But that just makes me a dumb human****  
><strong>**Like you**

**I feel like a shortstop****  
><strong>**Along third base****  
><strong>**I may just help you but I still don't like your face****  
><strong>**But believe me, I'm not hostile I just****  
><strong>**Want to hear you laugh****  
><strong>**When I'm sarcastic like that****  
><strong>**But that just makes me a dumb human****  
><strong>**Like you**

**Why****  
><strong>**Do I have this incredible need to stand up****  
><strong>**And say "Please, pay attention?"****  
><strong>**It's the last thing that I need****  
><strong>**To make myself seen****  
><strong>**Well, that ain't my intention****  
><strong>**No**

**I feel like an artist****  
><strong>**Who's lost his touch****  
><strong>**He likes himself in his art, but not his art too much****  
><strong>**But believe me, I've got something****  
><strong>**I just don't know how to say****  
><strong>**That I'm just fine with the way****  
><strong>**With the way that I'm moving****  
><strong>**But that just makes me a dumb human****  
><strong>**That just makes me****  
><strong>**That makes me a human like****  
><strong>**You**


	5. Use Somebody

**A/N- This is Loo- McAllister! I really hope we start getting some reviews because I don't know if anyone likes it and that would suck because I like writing it!**

**I will be updating Message Sent soon hopefully! Only if I can get some inspiration on which direction I should go in because I have many ideas.**

**Well, soon I think we are going to show sort of what goes on a daily basis in Lucas and Jake's life along with Brooke and Peyton.**

**Well, I'm done rambling except I really hope you guys review and here is chapter five!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5- Use Somebody<strong>

* * *

><p><em>I've been roaming around<em>_  
><em>_Always looking down at all I see__  
><em>_Painted faces, fill the places I cant reach  
>-Kings of Leon<em>

Brooke wasn't one to date. She had never had a boyfriend, never been asked to a dance. There were many reasons why.

The reason no boy ever asked was because they were mostly scared of her. She was unattainable. She made herself unattainable. She always would comment how she didn't date. She liked being single. She thought homecoming was stupid. It was what she did. Guys were so intimidated by her they were scared to even approach her and thought guys that were friends with her deserved a prize for having the balls to even say hi.

People thought there was something was wrong with her. Students make jokes about how one time a kid just looked at her for too long and he was out for a week in the hospital. They said when that freshman broke his leg last year it was because he ran into her in the hallway.

She didn't think anything of it. She would rather have people scared of her than walk all over her.

That was why Lucas Scott confused her. Nobody had never even thought some of things that he has said to her in the few weeks she has known him. He is rude, he is insulting and he most of the time either had a hangover or was high. She didn't understand him and he would never understand her.

"Brooke, help me" Lucas sat on the table Brooke occupied.

Lucas and Brooke weren't exactly friends. When the foursome worked together they usually stayed with their respective partner. Jake and Peyton were quick friends, but Lucas and Brooke were too different. She hated him. She thought he was a loser. He annoyed her and all he did was talk about getting laid and getting high.

Lucas wasn't a big fan of her either. She always had this better than you look and she was always angry. He didn't think he had even seen her smile. He wondered what was so horrible about her life. Maybe her hair didn't go the way she wanted it to.

But today, Jake and Peyton were working in an editing bay together and Lucas and Brooke were stuck by themselves.

"What are you doing?" She asked looking up from her vocabulary due next period to find Lucas blowing up a balloon.

He held up a finger as he continued to gust big breaths into the balloon. Soon it was big and he breathed heavily before speaking.

"We're gonna get this over my hand."

"You're stupid" She shook her head but nevertheless took the balloon.

"Where'd did you find this?"

"In a box. Come on Brooke, help me this one time" He pleaded and she rolled her eyes.

"This doesn't mean I like you"

He ignored her statement. He didn't like her either.

"Let's do this"

She groaned opening the balloon and quickly pulling it over his hand so there was still air in it. The balloon stayed filled with air and he started hitting her with it. She started to laugh loudly and kept flicking the balloon.

Lucas walked over to where Peyton and Jake were and started slamming on the window making Brooke cover her mouth with her hand to not draw attention to herself.

"Lucas!" Ms. Jacobs snapped and Brooke snorted.

"Yes?" He asked innocently.

"Stop and do your work" She instructed and he groaned slumping back down next to Brooke.

Brooke couldn't stop laughing. It felt good and she didn't know why it was so funny but she couldn't stop. She covered her face with her hands and continued to giggle.

"What is she laughing about?" Peyton smiled joining the group.

"I have no idea" Lucas said surprised.

It was a pleasant change to see in the brunette. He might even go as far as call her attractive since her face was screwed into a scowl.

He took it back. She still was annoying.

"I don't-" the rest of Brooke's sentence was eaten up by another round of laughter which made Lucas crack a smile.

"I haven't seen her this happy before" Jake said to Peyton who had a sad smile on her face.

"Neither have I"

It was one of the few days Brooke and Lucas got along. They joked around, they smiled, they got to know each other just a little bit that day.

. It was then he decided Brooke Davis wasn't all that bad.

It was that day Brooke saw Lucas Scott as more than a walking joint.

* * *

><p>"Julian said he liked me" Peyton confessed late Friday night as all of her friends sat around her.<p>

"Really?" Rachel asked and Peyton nodded eating a bite of her ice cream.

"What did you say?" Haley questioned.

Haley James was Peyton's oldest friend. They met when they were in kindergarten and had a class together almost every year. Haley was the intelligent one of the group. She was like a mother at times and the logical one. She was shy, she was never rude and the only time you ever saw her truly angry was when she was fighting with her twin sister, Quinn.

Quinn was the older twin, only by minutes. She was more outgoing. She was the friend where she would say things sometimes and you would just sit there and stare. She was a funny one. She could make you feel better just by smiling and always was in a good mood. There were times where you would think her and Haley had nothing in common. Other times you thought they were born with the same brain.

"I said I liked him back," Peyton shrugged.

"We know that is a lie," Alex chuckled.

Alex Dupre. She was new to the group. Well newer. They met her freshman year and instantly became friends. She was a crazy girl that was for sure but they did love her to death. She was a little wild and wasn't the purest girl, that was until she met Chase Adams and completely mellowed out. She went from skirts and tight blouses to jeans and sweat pants. She wore runway make up to almost none. Chase made her see that dressing and acting how she did wasn't going to get him. She realized he didn't care about all the materials but the substance. He made her feel beautiful in everything she wore.

"What?" Peyton asked pretending to be confused.

"Peyton, you don't like him," Brooke told her honestly.

"Yes, I do,"

"Okay, you tell me everything Peyt. So I'm thinking that this liking wouldn't have just happened. You would have told me at some point and you haven't. It seems pretty random to me" Brooke shrugged and the other girls nodded in agreement.

"I could like him," Peyton tried to convince them.

"Oh yeah, and Lucas Scott and I are secretly in love with each other," Brooke rolled her eyes and was confused when no one replied.

"What?" She asked confused.

"Well ,we were all talking-"

"No" Brooke cut Peyton off.

"Oh come on Brooke. You two have that whole sexual tension thing. Whenever you two are together I don't know if you are going to rip each other throats out or if he is going to shove his tongue down your throat" Peyton observed.

"Gross, never gonna happen" Brooke elicited a disgusted noise.

"And you talk about him a lot…" Rachel added.

"No I don't!"

"You kinda do." Quinn argued.

"Me and him are… no! That's wrong on so many levels!"

"You two would be amazing together" Peyton smiled.

"Uhh… no. That's like saying Hitler was good for Germany!" Brooke snapped.

The girls started to laugh at her.

"What?"

"You are so defensive. You cant deny that he is hot" Alex replied.

"Yes I can. He is not" Brooke crossed her arms in a huff

"You know he is"

"What about Jake?" Brooke changed the subject smirking at Peyton.

"Whoa! Not fair"

"Oh and throwing pot smoker on me is? We were nice to each other one day. You and Jake are always talking" Brooke shrugged.

"Cause we're friends"

"Jake doesn't want to be your friend. It is written all over his face"

"Kind of like Lucas?"

"Nothing like Lucas" Brooke replied. The rest of the group watched as the two best friends continued a conversation that they didn't understand.

"He looks at you like you are water to a starving animal" Peyton said.

"No, he looks at me like he wants to kill me. Jake likes you. You should date him, not Julian." Brooke advised.

"Julian is good for me"

"Jake is better"

Peyton shook her head.

"I don't even know Jake"

"Get to know him" Brooke shrugged.

"You know no one would approve" Peyton said softly.

"No one ever does."

"B…"

"Don't date him Peyton. We both know that isn't a good idea. Do not date him." Brooke spoke of Julian.

It wasn't that Brooke didn't like Julian because honestly she didn't know him that well but you hear things in a small school and the last thing Peyton needed was dating Julian.

Peyton nodded. Brooke thought she got through to her. She wanted to think Peyton took what she said to heart.

A week later Peyton and Julian were dating. It was the day Peyton told her Brooke knew Jake felt something for Peyton. His demeanor changed. He went rigid. She couldn't understand how the feelings he felt for Peyton had gotten this way so quickly. They had only known each other a month but he looked pained when she gushed about Julian. Brooke even wondered if she truly even liked him that much. She seemed to force the smile when she spoke of him. Brooke watched as Jake awkwardly congratulated Peyton and turned back to Lucas as they started down the hall. She would never speak anything of the way Jake would glare when he walked by Julian and Peyton holding hands. She knew he probably didn't even notice he did it.

It was funny to watch them. They were so simple in how they interacted. They would sit there, he would help with her homework, he would smile at her when she wasn't looking. He would grit his teeth when Julian was brought up. They didn't fight often, at least not when Lucas and Brooke were around. Brooke loved to watch them because it was… funny.

They shared looks, inside jokes, hidden smiles, food. They talked about stuff Lucas could only dream to get out of Brooke. Brooke knew they were different than her and Lucas. Lucas would fight with Brooke about the sky being blue if he thought it would be entertaining.

Jake and Peyton weren't like that. Of course they had their moments but for the most they seemed happy being in each others company. Something Lucas would never feel for Brooke.

It was what Brooke wished Peyton would see. Julian and Peyton didn't compare to Jake and Peyton. Julian was safe, Jake was exciting. Peyton laughed more with Jake and seemed more comfortable with him. His look fit her more. And even though Brooke refused to agree with what he did in his past time, she would be an idiot to deny that Peyton and Jake were… different. Different than all of Peyton's past relationships and Brooke knew that was what scared Peyton.

That was the reason Peyton told Julian she liked him. Because Peyton would never truly get hurt by Julian. He might bruise her ego a little but he would never truly hurt her. Brooke knew the first time she saw Jake even look in Peyton's direction only one thing.

Jake Jagielski could destroy Peyton Sawyer's heart effortlessly.

**REVIEW! IM BEGGING YOU!  
>SEE I EVEN RHYMED! NOW I DESERVE A REVIEW!<strong>

**SMILES! **

**I've been roaming around****  
><strong>**Always looking down at all I see****  
><strong>**Painted faces, fill the places I cant reach**

**You know that I could use somebody****  
><strong>**You know that I could use somebody**

**Someone like you, And all you know, And how you speak****  
><strong>**Countless lovers under cover of the street**

**You know that I could use somebody****  
><strong>**You know that I could use somebody****  
><strong>**Someone like you**

**Off in the night, while you live it up, I'm off to sleep****  
><strong>**Waging wars to shape the poet and the beat****  
><strong>**I hope it's gonna make you notice****  
><strong>**I hope it's gonna make you notice**

**Someone like me****  
><strong>**Someone like me****  
><strong>**Someone like me, somebody**

**Go and let it out****  
><strong>**Go and let it out****  
><strong>**Go and let it out****  
><strong>**Go and let it out****  
><strong>**Go and let it out****  
><strong>**Go and let it out****  
><strong>**Go and let it out**

**Someone like you, somebody****  
><strong>**Someone like you, somebody****  
><strong>**Someone like you, somebody**

**I've been roaming around,****  
><strong>**Always looking down at all I see**


	6. Whatever's Left

**Alwaysbutneverright here!**

**It took me awhile to write this. Sorry. But I hope you like it.**

**Sorry if some parts get confusing… D:**

**Anyways, Happy Reading!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Whatever's Left<strong>

* * *

><p><em>"It's a feeling I've had many times before<br>I can't hold the fort so don't give me more  
>I struggle and sweat when I'm wide awake<br>When I know I'm fine, I'm not used to fine"_

Two months had rolled by and Peyton was still with Julian, and Brooke's demeanor still fluctuated between extremely pissed off to blank stares. Jake and Lucas still talked to the girls, more Jake talked to Peyton, and Lucas and Brooke fought…a lot. Homecoming was near and school was moving relatively fast for Peyton, but for Jake, everything went slow.

"Please, please, please come to the dance with me. I beg of you, Brooke. I need a buddy. Rachel is the only one in the group I know." Peyton begged as they sat down in second period.

"Dances are stupid; you know I think that, Peyt. I'm sorry, but no." Brooke watched as Lucas and Jake walked in and slinked down in their chairs. "Hey, Jake. You're looking blue today." Brooke and Jake didn't really talk, a rarity you'd say, but she felt the need to ask. But the moment after she did she knew she shouldn't have opened her mouth. He was like this every day. Every day he would walk in with the same sad expression and then when Peyton would turn her head he would perk up. Whether it was because he was happy to see her, or he just didn't want her to worry was a mystery to Brooke, but he did it every day.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" A look crossed Peyton's face that screamed of ultimate care and affection. She might not have noticed it herself, but her face reeked of warmth towards Jake.

"Nothing just tired." He shook his head and took a sip of his water.

"He's hung over." Brooke was shocked by the sudden closeness of Lucas. His lips were right next to her ear, whispering. It wasn't something normal for her, having a boy so close. She didn't hug, she didn't want closeness, and the only thing that she'd gotten close to with Lucas was when they had their shoving matches. Other than that, this was the closest he'd ever been to her.

She gave him a look, not sure how to respond, but when she turned back to Jake, she saw it. The bloodshot eyes, drinking a lot and his headache that was understood by his constant temple rubs. It wouldn't be something Peyton was familiar with; she wouldn't have been able to spot it even if you asked her to. But the signs were there, and became even clearer as time grew on.

"Okay, guys, we'll be doing notes today." Mrs. Jacobs began handing out sheets of paper and everyone groaned. Soon the lights were off and the PowerPoint was projected onto the wall.

"Jake, write your notes." Peyton's voice had authority, but care in it. "I don't want you to fail." Brooke and Peyton knew they were repeat juniors, so she understood why Peyton pushed him. Jake and Lucas didn't want to do anything, no motivation whatsoever, and if anything bothered Peyton it was laziness. Especially since it was just copying down words. Sure it was boring, but it was easy.

"I don't want to though, I have a headache." He leaned further back in his chair with a slight smile on his face. He loved riling her up; and he knew he'd accomplished it when she slammed down her pencil to look at him.

"Jake Jagielski, I don't want you to fail a class that is so easy to pass." She was basically whisper-screaming at him. "It doesn't take much to just pick up your pencil and copy a few words. Stop being so pig headed and do it." She didn't ever have fights with Jake, but she cared enough to not let him fail. She cared enough to try and motivate him.

"I don't want to though. Not this time, but I promise next time I will…" He gave her a puppy dog look, but it did nothing for her. Brooke held in a laugh as she and Lucas watched them from behind.

"Don't lie to me, Jake. Just pick up your pencil and do it now." She was aggravated and Jake could tell. He complied with her and picked up his pencil, not enjoying the angry side of Peyton.

"Fine, but I'm only doing it for you." Brooke procured a huge smile on her face, knowing he meant it was for her. But then her smile faded when Peyton responded in a rather ugly way.

"I wish you would do it for yourself instead. I don't matter, no one else in this class matters, none of us matter when it comes to doing stuff for you. I want you to pass, but I would rather you wanted you to pass. Okay? Try for one moment to have a motivation besides another human being." She had wanted to say it, needed to say it, and it felt nice now that she did, but Jake just huffed at her and snorted.

"Whatever." And with that they wrote for the rest of the period in silence.

* * *

><p>"What was all that tension today?" Brooke mumbled into the phone, trying to go through the sleeping house quietly.<p>

"_What are you talking about_?" Brooke rolled her eyes at Peyton, and then heard a beeping noise.

"Hang on; I got another call coming in." She checked her phone to see it was Rachel. "It's Rach, you want to three-way?" She stealthily started throwing clothes into the washing machine.

"_Yea, sure. But I want to know what you were talking about! Okay?_"

"Okay, okay! Hang on!" She clicked over to the other line. "Hey, Rach. Peyt is on the other line. Is it okay if we three-way?" She started to pour in the laundry detergent.

"**Yea, dude. Sounds bueno**." Rachel did the whole randomly saying a Spanish word in the middle of a sentence thing. It slightly annoyed some people and she often heard the phrase, "This is America, speak English." But she would just laugh it off. That was Rachel; she didn't care most of the time.

"Hey, guys." Brooke mumbled, closing the washing machine and setting it up to wash.

"_Hey_!" Cheered Peyton.

"**Hey…**" Rachel nonchalantly played back.

"You guys talk amongst yourself for a moment, or Peyton can at least tell us why she was so tense today while I put you guys on speaker phone. I have to – uhm – start something." Brooke sat the phone on the kitchen counter and turned back to her washing machine. Her mom finally taught her how to work the darn thing and she had to be quick about starting it, then running.

"_I was not tense!_" Peyton squealed, making Brooke roll her eyes.

"**Why were you tense**?" Rachel's curiosity peaked when she knew Peyton was lying. Peyton was never a good liar.

"_I wasn't okay. He was just being dumb and wouldn't do his work. Sorry if laziness pisses me off!_" Peyton was huffing into the phone, making Brooke giggle to herself as she hit a few knobs that now acted as buttons on their machine.

"**Wait, who is he? Why was he being lazy? And what did you say to him?**" Rachel hated being left in the dark, but no matter how much she complained about it, Peyton could never fix a problem she didn't see happening until afterwards.

"_No one. Nothing happened. This is stupid. I was __**not **__tense, Brooklyn_!" Brooke rolled her eyes and punched the machine one more time and it roared to life. She grabbed her phone, and shut the door to the laundry room. Suddenly she heard someone move upstairs and she cursed under her breath as she made her way up the stairs and putting the phone to her ear, hearing the two girls bickering.

" – **don't understand why you won't tell me! I'm supposed to be one of your best friends and yet I know nothing of this boy that has no name.**" There wasn't even a heartbeat for Peyton to respond.

"_Rachel, there's nothing to know. It's a stupid guy in my video class._" Brooke rolled her eyes once more at the blonde as she went into her room as quietly as possible.

"**Whatever, Peyton. I just wish I knew his –** ,"

"His name is Jake Jagielski. He's totally got it for Peyton, and she just ignores him." Suddenly, everything was quiet on all three ends of the phone. Brooke's heart sped up a bit.

"_He does __**not**__ like me, Brooke. Don't tell people that!_" Brooke laughed at her at this point, but everything went quiet again.

"**Is this the class that Lucas Scott is in as well?**" The wheels in Rachel's head were turning.

"Yes, but what does that matter?" Brooke leaned back on her bed and crossed her arms on her chest.

"**Oh, I've just heard things. But it doesn't –**," Suddenly, Brooke heard someone making their way towards her room. She quickly whispered into the phone:

"Got to go, guys. Sorry. Bye." And as someone walked into the room she slammed her phone down.

* * *

><p>Peyton walked into class alone, and looked around for her best friend. It wasn't an abnormality if Brooke was out. Her immune system worked about as well as a dog would work pulling a semi truck. But it still felt odd when she was out; Peyton was one of those people that always figured the worst. She wasn't necessarily a dark person, a Debbie-downer as she would put it, but her mind always jumped to the worst possibility. She couldn't help it; especially after last night's weird phone call. She stared at the door as the other students filed in. Peyton was generally one of the firsts to get into class, so she enjoyed watching the others walk into class. People watching was, in general, fun. She watched as the bell started ringing and two all too familiar boys were running through the door, barely making it on time. They laughed as Mrs. Jacobs looked at them funnily, but they all knew they couldn't be counted late. Peyton smiled a little as Jake turned to her and gave her a warm smile, one that you couldn't help but return no matter how bitter of a person you are. He continued to smile at her as he sat down next to her, at his normal spot.<p>

Maybe it was too early to notice then, but Peyton did think she saw Lucas looking for Brooke as he tried to get his chair. It wasn't something completely noticeable, maybe even her mind playing a trick on her, but he didn't have to swat at her shoulder and ask where the brunette was. No, he would never have to do that, because if he searched for her like this every time, it would speak for him completely. It wasn't a lost look or even confusion and missing. It was a look that makes you go, "Oh, he must have lost something really important to him," or make you wonder if he was trying to find waldo. It's not something Brooke would call significant now, but Peyton would. It was that look that clouds her mind when she thinks of Lucas. That look that screamed he cared, maybe not enough to tell the world, but enough to let it flitter across his face for more than a minute. And that was enough for Peyton.

Despite how cold and chilly Peyton had been to Jake the day before, he felt better by a fair margin and he decided to act like it never happened. She was looking for him, though, he was sure of it. She wouldn't have been looking for Brooke, not when the Brunette walks into class with her every day. Either she was here or she wasn't. Jake knew that and Peyton knew that. So she must have been looking for him. She must have been waiting to give him that smile, because that smile was not like one she'd given before. It made him smile like he never has before. That smile made him immediately take out his pen and begin writing the notes without having to be told otherwise. It was a smile that made him pass her a note, something he normally didn't do.

**What are you doing for homecoming?**

His handwriting sucked, but he didn't care. He slid it over to her, and watched as her forehead wrinkled in confusion.

_Whatever Julian plans. I'm undecided right now. Don't know if I want to go, don't know if I don't._

His heart sank a little, but she sounded unsure of going with Julian. That had to be a sign. Right?

**Oh, no. Don't get in the car with him. He can't park that pickle to save his life. He almost hit my baby this morning…again.**

He watched a smile play across her face as she wrote him back.

_I didn't know you had spawn running around. And, yes, I know he's a terrible driver. My mom would probably never let me get in the car with him anyway, so don't worry._

He laughed to himself.

**Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you that. I'm also an ex-convict. Hope that doesn't affect our friendship. And I'm just looking out for you. Julian and the pickle are dangerous.**

She laughed audibly and a few heads turned to look at the pair. But she just shook her head and said that she found tripods a funny device. That girl seriously was strange. But Jake liked it.

_Oh, my. I guess you don't remember that terrifying tattoo on my foot. I'm a bad arse too. You better watch your back. And thank you, I appreciate it._

He smiled, and laughed at the tattoo part. He still can't believe he and Lucas fell for that. I mean, they were high, but they still believed it when they weren't. It was annoying and funny all at the same time.

**You will never let me forget that, will you?**

She sent back immediately and he saw that their time together was running out. His heart sank as he opened the paper.

_Not for as long as I live, Jake Jagielski._

The bell rang out and he stood up, folding the paper and putting it in his pocket. He walked out next to Peyton, but he didn't know what to say to her, he never did. He didn't ignore her on purpose, and he hardly ever found himself like this with a girl. Yet, he was like this with Peyton Sawyer.

"Dude, you wanna come over today?" Lucas said, running to catch up.

"I don't know man," he said, watching Peyton walk away.

"Come on, dude. I got some smokes today." Jake debated it for a minute, and then nodded his head, biting his lip.

"Cool, man. I'll see you later." Lucas started walking down the hall then turned back to yell towards Jake. "You bringing Owen?" Owen Morello was Jake's step brother and best friend.

"Yea, dude." Jake yelled, watching Lucas nod and disappear into the crowd.

Jake Jagielski wasn't one to want things. He didn't want girls, didn't want to get hooked on them. He didn't want people to care, didn't care for friends. Sure, he had friends, but he rarely ever cared enough for them to do them favors. It wasn't because he was unloved as a child, he had a loving mother, love wasn't it. When it got down to it, love never was an issue for him. He just simply couldn't find the right people to love.

This world that he escaped into, this world of drugs and alcohol consumed him. Escaping into something where he could forget, forget all his problems, forget everything that had wronged him, it was something he did constantly. It was a world most would choose to not be a part of, but once you were consumed in it, once you fell into its motions, its gravitation pull, you had to work like hell to get out. That is, if you ever could.

Jake opened his mind when he was high, saw the world for what he thought it was what he wished everyone else would see. He would sit there, stare at a wall, and watch the world pass him by. He chose to avoid it, avoid everything that would hold him down.

Jake Jagielski ran from the world, he didn't care if someone saw him running, he didn't care no one could catch him, but he did care if someone did.

And Peyton Sawyer seemed to be running that race with him without even realizing it; he knew she was catching up, too.

* * *

><p>She ran a straightener through her hair and glanced at Rachel who was curling her hair. She wasn't trying; not really, she borrowed a dress from her friend, stole the shoes from her mom, and lazily ran a straightener through her hair.<p>

* * *

><p>He tried to hold on, he tried to stop, but Mary Jane took him away to somewhere different, somewhere the pain didn't affect him.<p>

* * *

><p>He wrapped arms around her waist, feeling her tense up, but then, as if having to remind herself to, she relaxed into him, and danced the night away.<p>

* * *

><p>He pulled the beer away from his mouth, watching the ceiling blur, roll, and turn black. He was gone to the world he didn't visit often, only when the real world hurt so bad he couldn't get away with Mary Jane. And Mary Jane had always done so well, but not tonight.<p>

Tonight, the world turned slowly, if not in the wrong direction. Nothing fit right, the puzzle didn't fit together. But everyone continued to ignore it.

Especially Peyton and Jake.

For them, the world could turn the wrong way for the rest of their lives, because they would never try to think of it otherwise. For Peyton, she couldn't make the world spin left or right if she wanted. For Jake, he wished the world would turn the way he wanted, but he knew it would take cooperation from other people. It always would.

**I feel semi confident in this. I went back, read it, erased some, added some, changed some, and left some where it was in the first place.**

**I hope you enjoy reading it.**

**Review? :D**

**It's a feeling I've had many times before****  
><strong>**I can't hold the fort so don't give me more****  
><strong>**I struggle and sweat when I'm wide awake****  
><strong>**When I know I'm fine, I'm not used to fine**

**It's the same thing again****  
><strong>**but it could become a problem if****  
><strong>**We don't deal with it now****  
><strong>**and you blast off in another rant****  
><strong>**I've not opened my mouth****  
><strong>**can you read my mind so easily****  
><strong>**As the madness sets in****  
><strong>**you must know that I'll follow you**

**A sudden movement and a broken limb****  
><strong>**The patches are there to show where I'm hit****  
><strong>**My fault is it now well that's news to me****  
><strong>**Curled and joyless we try once again**


	7. Right Kind Of Wrong

**Longest chapter yet! I hope ya'll like all the drama!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Right Kind Of Wrong<strong>

* * *

><p><em>I know all about,<br>Yea about your reputation  
>And now it's bound to be a heartbreak situation<br>But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
>Every time that I'm where you are<br>-Leann Rimes _

Brooke always hated the Monday after homecoming. Every year it was the same. So and so practically had sex on the dance floor. This girl's dress was so tight that many wondered if it was even a dress. Two guys got into a fight. One person threw up everywhere. The dancing some people performed was unbearable. It went on and on and there were times where Brooke just wanted to scream at the ignorant students and tell them there was more to life than a stupid dance that half didn't even remember.

What she didn't expect was to walk into a second period to find a black and blue Jake Jagielski sitting in his normal seat next to Peyton's desk fuming. She wondered if part of the anger came from the fact Peyton's desk was empty.

"What happened, Jagielski?" Brooke asked him and he ignored her.

"Jake, what happened?" She asked again and once again gained a response in the form of heavy breathing.

She sighed and walked over to Lucas who was talking to a junior boy that surprisingly Brooke had had a small crush on when she was in seventh grade.

"Hey Johnny, I got to talk to Lucas," Brooke grabbed the sleeve of Lucas' shirt and pulled him away.

"Brooke-"

"What happened to him?" Brooke asked in a low voice and Lucas looked over her shoulder at his friend.

"He got into a fight…" Lucas replied like it was obvious.

"With who?" Brooke asked confused.

"Why do you care?" Lucas asked not understanding the envious prick that he kept feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Because there is a girl who I love like she is my sister who told me her boyfriend was beat up and I want to know, did he have something to do with it?" Brooke questioned pointing at an oblivious Jake.

"Yes,"

"Were you there?"

Lucas groaned before answering, "Yes"

"Of course you were. Why didn't you stop it?"

"Because I didn't even see it coming. It came out of nowhere,"

"Lucas-"

"Here we are, just walking down the road and Jake sees Julian and snaps… it would have been a lot worse if I hadn't been there,"

"Does she know it was him?"

"Yeah, she was there,"

"Do you have any idea what set him off?"

"Julian screaming at her probably had something to do with it," Lucas shrugged and Brooke sighed.

She didn't want to deal with this right now. She just wanted to go home and sleep but you never got privacy in her house. She was so tired of all these people and she would feel better if they all-

"Brooke, you okay?" Lucas asked noticing just then how sad she truly looked.

The corners of her lips rarely were ever upturned and over the last few months he had enjoyed the moments when they did. He enjoyed Brooke's company even though he would never tell her that. He would die before he let her know that he actually was entertained when he fought her. That he found it hot when she started to get angry and her face went red. He'd never mention that he watched every day hoping to see her eyes light up and a small smile play on her lips.

"Why do you care?" She whispered.

Lucas let out a loud breath, "Maybe because Jake's my best friend… and he is happy when Peyton is happy and Peyton isn't happy when you are sad,"

"Can I ask you something Lucas?" Brooke asked and Lucas eventually nodded, "Do you use that shitty logic to hide the fact you worry about me?" She asked with a hint of bitterness. Lucas wasn't sure why it made her mad.

Brooke shook her head not wanting an answer from him before turning back and going to sit in her seat. She gave Jake a small pat on the back and whispered something to him. Lucas watched as Jake turned with eyes full of surprise.

Lucas didn't know why her words affected him so much. She was just Brooke. Annoying, snotty, bitchy Brooke. His logic made perfect sense. He just wanted his friend to be happy as sappy as that sounded. It had nothing to do with Brooke everyday looked a little more lost and everyday Lucas wondered if she ever would be happy.

He had a friend that used to know Brooke. He said she was known for her smile. Brooke Davis was never sad and would always find a way to make someone happy if they were having a bad day. She always was one to have a stupid joke or fact that no one had ever heard. Lucas wondered if their relationship would be different if he had gotten to know that Brooke. The Brooke that would have gone out of her way to meet him. He thinks they would have been friends.

But that was just wishful thinking and he had no idea why he wished that.

* * *

><p>Two weeks since the dreaded homecoming weekend where Jake had fought Julian. They never spoke of it. No one in the group ever talked of why Jake held the bruises that were now faded. It was tense for only days between Peyton and Jake before they soon let it fade just like his bruises.<p>

Of course not much had changed between Brooke and Lucas. She was still angry like always but Lucas saw more. She feared showing people any real emotion, he saw that now. They mostly stayed away from each other like usual but that one day was different. Lucas was thankful he decided to stay behind and wait for the brunette to grab her things because he always wondered what might have happened if he hadn't. The look in her eyes that thirty seconds made him scared of what usually went on.

Brooke had forgotten the battery for the camera and had said she would go back to get it but she was hesitant to actually go get it. Lucas never understood the fear she held for walking halls alone till that day. He noticed her stalling and for some reason he said he would go with her and waved Jake and Peyton on and told them they would meet them in the parking lot.

Brooke stayed very close to him as they walked back and would stop if he got too far behind him which Lucas found weird.

"Lucas, hurry up" She said pulling her jacket tighter around her.

"I'm coming, I'm coming" Lucas said in his usual don't give a shit tone.

"Brookie,"

Lucas watched Brooke completely stop her movements and Lucas quickly made his way to her. He stood with his chest up against her backside and watched as she glared at the tall creepy guy that stood in front of her.

He recognized the guy as someone on the awful soccer team. He was tall, lanky even and had a creepy smile on his face as he gave Brooke a leering look.

"Hi Trent," She mumbled staring back at the ground and Lucas wondered who this guy was that made the bold independent Brooke Davis cower at the sight.

"Who is this, Brookie?"

"Lucas," Brooke stated and Trent held out his calloused hand and Lucas stared at it.

There was something off about this guy. Lucas didn't know what it was but he definitely didn't like the way he ran his eyes over Brooke or how close he was standing to her.

Lucas felt Brooke slowly grab his arm and slid behind him, "We have to go,"

"So soon?"

Lucas could feel Brooke's grip go tighter and Lucas didn't comment on how he was probably the last person Brooke would want touching her… then again Trent would be last.

"Leave me alone Trent,"

"Is that anyway to talk to your brother?" Trent took another step and went to go around Lucas but he pushed him away.

"Okay, buddy let's keep a distance," Lucas ordered.

"Who the fuck are you?" Trent asked annoyed before giving Brooke another look that angered Lucas.

"I'm Lucas fucking Scott and I will destroy you if you go near her" Lucas sneered at him and Trent eyes flashed something close to fear before glancing back at Brooke.

"You with him, Brookie?" Trent smirked and Brooke tightened her grip which Lucas didn't even think was possible and he shoved Trent a little harder.

"Walk away, man"

"Whatever, I'll see you at home Brookie," Trent laughed cruelly before passing the couple and walking away.

Brooke stayed connected to Lucas for a few seconds until she realized it was Lucas whose arm she was clinging to. She quickly let go and started to practically run down the hallway.

"Brooke!" Lucas yelled after her.

"Let it go, Lucas," She mumbled.

"No, what the hell was that?"

Brooke kept her arms crossed guarding herself from the rest of the world and shrugged, "That was Trent,"

"Who is what? Your brother… because brothers aren't supposed to look at their fucking sister like that," Lucas hissed at her confused on where this anger was coming from.

"He's my step brother," Brooke muttered.

"Is he the reason you don't like being by yourself?"

"It doesn't matter," Brooke whispered.

"Yeah it does,"

"Stop acting like you're my friend, Lucas. You aren't. You are nothing," She said in a low tone.

"Don't take your anger out on me," He seethed.

"Then don't get in my business!"

"I'm sorry if I thought it was a little strange, but hey it is you. Maybe you're into that sort of thing," He shrugged and Brooke shoved him away from her.

"Fuck you, prick" She hissed before disappearing into the class.

They ignored each other the rest of the week.

* * *

><p>He watched her be stopped in the empty cafeteria by a redhead and watched as the redhead talked animatedly to her about something. She just let out a big smile and through her head back in laughter. He had never seen her so carefree and it was probably very slim he'd see it any time soon. She rarely was like that and he held in a smile as she started jumping up and down squealing. Part of him wanted to know what she was so happy about it. Soon she calmed down and looked through her bag for something. There was something so simple about her. The way she always wore her hair naturally wavy or in messy bun. The way she was completely okay with no makeup and sweats. He was waiting for the day she really dressed up because he can only imagine how she would look. He watched her pull out a bottled drink and look around before quickly dropping what he guessed were pills in her mouth and taking short sips of her drink.<p>

He didn't even notice he was staring until the redheaded friend looked over at him with a knowing smile before tapping her and whispering something to her. She looked up with no emotion at him before turning back to the girl and shaking her head.

There goes happy Brooke.

"Who is that?"

Lucas broke away from the brunette to see Felix staring in the same direction as he was. Lucas clenched his jaw. He hated Felix. He didn't even know why he put up with him.

Well he did, he had good pot for a cheap price.

"Who?"

"The brunette next to Gatina," Felix caught Brooke's eyes and gave her a kiss which was replied with a middle finger.

Lucas couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Don't even try man," Lucas advised.

"Why? She a bad fuck?" Felix asked looking at Lucas who was now starting to get angry.

"No,"

"Are you fucking her? You know I'm fine with your sloppy seconds, but from that ass I'm guessing she-"

Lucas wasn't sure what happened after that. He was just so angry. Something about how he talked about her. Maybe it was because it was Brooke and Brooke had yet to be corrupted with the ways males are. Maybe it was because she would hate to think people are talking about her. It was most likely though the same reason Brooke said. He loved to use shitty logic because he hated to admit he cared for her. Maybe he did in small way care for her.

Maybe that's why he took Felix's head and slammed it into the table.

"What the fuck?" Felix yelled tackling Lucas off the seat.

They tumbled to the floor and stated rolling alternating kicks and punches.

On the other side of the cafeteria, Brooke watched on with disinterest but felt a small tug at her heart every time Lucas took a punch.

"Holy shit, what do you think they are fighting about?" Rachel asked.

"They are probably high," Brooke said.

It was then Ian and Nathan walked in and when they noticed the two teenage boys fighting they ran up and pulled them away, Felix looking a lot worse than Lucas.

"Stay away from her," Lucas growled and Felix pushed Nathan off him.

"Get off me, preppy bitch" Felix snapped in Nathan's direction.

"Let me beat his ass for you, Sawyer" Lucas hissed.

"Care to explain why you are fighting?" Ian questioned.

"You should hear the things he says about your sister Kellerman," Lucas muttered loud enough for only the boys to hear and not the two girls who stood on the other side of the room watching.

"What?" Ian asked confused.

"Tell him what you said about Brooke, Felix"

"You talking shit about my sister?" Ian glared.

"It was a compliment," Felix smirked and Lucas struggled against Ian to hit him again.

"Calm down, Scott" Nathan told Lucas knowing if it came to it, Nathan would have to hold Ian back and he couldn't have Lucas and Ian trying to beat Felix.

"Stay away from her," Lucas repeated.

"Why does it bother you what I do to her?" Felix smiled creepily and Ian looked at him.

"I am about to beat his ass," Ian told Nathan.

"It doesn't bother me, but if you touch her I will destroy you,"

"You're contradicting yourself Scott," Felix told him with a laugh.

"Fine then, she's mine then, don't touch her, don't even think about her." Lucas growled.

"Whoa, my sister isn't anyone's," Ian cleared up.

Neither Felix nor Lucas listened.

"Fine, let me know when you are done with her," Felix smiled.

"She will never let you touch her," Lucas said heatedly.

"We'll see," He smiled and Ian went to hit Felix when Felix started walking away in the direction of Brooke who glared at him as he passed.

"My sister isn't yours," Ian told him.

Lucas wiped his bloody lip. "Yeah, I know, but he won't touch her now," Lucas grumbled walking away.

"What the hell just happened?" Nathan asked his best friend.

"I have no idea, but I'm gonna find out" Ian said looking at Brooke who was now watching Lucas walk away from the room and Ian noticed the sad look on her face when he was gone.

* * *

><p>"Hey Brooke,"<p>

Brooke looked up from her paper to see Clay taking a seat next to her in the quiet library.

"Hi Clay," She smiled softly at him before turning back to her paper.

"You hear about that fight that happened?" Clay asked her and Brooke shrugged.

"Which one?"

"The stoners," Clay told her and Brooke nodded.

"I was there,"

"What were they fighting about?"

"Maybe one smoke too much of the other's joint. I can't see them fighting about something very in depth," Brooke told him and it was then Ian plopped down in front of Brooke after pulling a chair from a different table.

"We need to talk,"

"About what, Ian?" Brooke asked him confused.

"What's going on between you and Lucas Scott?" Ian asked her.

"Nothing,"

"Oh so that is why I found him in a fight with Felix Taggaro this morning, silly me" Ian taunted.

"What does that have to do with Brooke?" Clay asked confused.

"I don't know, let's ask Brooke," Ian looked at Brooke with a waiting look.

"That fight wasn't about me,"

"I promise you it was, so tell me, what it is going on?" Ian asked angrily.

"Nothing and even if there was you have no right to be angry," Brooke told his with a frustrated tone.

"He is Lucas Scott, he is the school drug dealer," Clay added in.

"No he isn't," Brooke defended.

"Yes he is, I'm sorry if I am a little concerned that he got into a fight with a guy because he looked at you the wrong way," Ian told her.

"We aren't anything. I hate him, and he hates me" Brooke shrugged.

"Didn't look like that from where I was standing," Ian shook his head, "Stay away from him, Brooke,"

Brooke didn't know why she was so angry. He was just Lucas Scott who pissed her off to no end but the idea of being told to stay away from him or the fact her brother was talking about how awful he was aggravated her and she wanted nothing more than to defend him.

"No,"

"If you hated him, you'd be fine with staying away from him," Clay said.

Brooke sat there silently. She didn't want to ignore and stay away from him and they weren't going to make her.

"Brooke, no good comes out of being near him," Ian said with a stern tone and Brooke went to answer when Peyton walked up hand in hand with Julian.

"Hey what's up guys?" Peyton's smile seemed forced and she lost it when she noticed the tense atmosphere.

"Did we interrupt something?" Julian asked.

"You can't tell me what to do. He is no worse than what I have to deal with at home," Brooke threw back and Ian narrowed his eyes at her.

"What are you talking about?" Peyton questioned.

"It doesn't matter," Brooke snapped at her grabbing her stuff and shoving it in her bag before stomping out of the library.

"I'm gonna go check on her," Peyton let go of Julian and quickly followed the exit Brooke had just taken.

Peyton walked through the halls at a fast pace and made it out the doors to find her best friend in the parking lot yelling at a certain blond sporting a swollen lip with an annoyed Jake sitting in the front seat of the car watching the fight.

"Great," Peyton muttered.

"Just tell me it wasn't because of me, you ass!" Brooke yelled at him.

"I was helping you, you bitch!" He shouted at her.

"Oh yeah, by having my brother get involved! I don't need your help of all people!" She shoved him just like she always did and Peyton stepped in front of them before he had a chance to shove Brooke back.

"Guys, come on" Peyton said and Lucas pushed her towards Jake before continuing his fight.

"Don't push her!" Brooke yelled at him.

"You are so annoying! Be grateful that I saved you from him! I seem to be doing that a lot lately!"

"Shut up! You don't know what you are talking about!" She yelled once again shoving him and this time he did give her a slight shove back.

"Why are they fighting?" Peyton whispered to Jake.

"Lucas got into a fight with this guy for looking at Brooke and now she is mad because she is a dumbass," Jake shrugged.

"Don't call her a dumbass," Lucas snarled before continuing his fight with the small brunette.

"Stop sticking up for me!" She yelled aggravated.

"This is the stupidest fight ever!" Peyton yelled fed up with both of them.

"Stay out of it," Brooke snapped at her.

"Don't tell me to stay out of it! I'm your best friend and you are being stupid! You two are fighting because he stuck up for you?" Peyton asked.

"I don't want anything from him because now of his stupid little stunt, my brother is on my case and thinks I'm with him!"

"Why would he think that?" Peyton questioned.

"Because he told him I was!" Brooke yelled throwing a glare at Lucas.

"What the hell would you say that?" Peyton asked.

"Stay out of it Peyton!" Lucas yelled at her.

"Don't yell at her," Jake warned.

"You two are so stupid," Peyton grumbled.

"At least I'm not with someone I don't even like," Lucas muttered and Brooke shoved him once again.

"Shut up!" Brooke yelled.

"Well at least I don't refuse to admit I care about someone, but claim them" Jake added.

"At least he doesn't beat up people's boyfriends because he is jealous he didn't have the balls to say how he felt," Brooke defended.

"Are you defending him, now?" Peyton asked.

"What Jake did was just as bad!" Lucas yelled.

"He was yelling at her!"

"And Felix was talking about fucking her!" Lucas pointed at Brooke.

"Why does is bother you so much?" Peyton asked him and Brooke groaned.

"I'm leaving because I am tired of all of you," Brooke announced.

"Just admit you two care about the others well being!" Jake threw his hands up in the air.

"I don't care!" Brooke yelled.

"Yes you do! Both of you do! You two are just so fucking scared because it is so out of the norm that you two refuse to feel anything anymore!" Jake snapped.

"I'm done with all of this," Brooke shook her head denying everything they were saying.

"You are unbelievable,"

"And you're so much better Peyton? You led him on then started going out with someone else… makes perfect sense" Lucas glared at her.

"She didn't lead me on," Jake interjected.

Brooke scoffed as she stood next to Lucas.

"You can all go to hell. My boyfriend is waiting for me," Peyton hissed.

"We get it Peyton! You have a boyfriend! You ever tell him half the stuff you have told me?" Jake asked her, a small smirk forming on his lips.

"I hate you," Peyton mumbled leaving quickly.

"You are such an ass, Jake" Brooke shook her head.

"Oh shut up Brooke," Lucas grumbled.

"Whatever Lucas. You're the one that had this problem always wanting to protect me from shit," She muttered.

"Fuck you, ice queen"

"No I think I'll let Felix do that," She smirked before leaving.

Lucas frowned and glared at her back as she walked away. He wasn't positive why he fought Felix or why Brooke made him more angry than usual but he did know these feelings were pissing him off.

"Way to go, man" Jake shook his head at his friend.

"Oh just go be a pussy and whine over not having Peyton," Lucas snapped kicking the tire before making the decision to walk home.

"Dick,"

And just like the four of them were all alone.

And they didn't even have each other to turn to.

_**I hope it was enjoyable! Review please!**_

**I know all about,**  
><strong>Yea about your reputation<strong>  
><strong>And now it's bound to be a heartbreak situation<strong>  
><strong>But I can't help it if I'm helpless<strong>  
><strong>Every time that I'm where you are<strong>

**You walk in and my strength walks out the door**  
><strong>Say my name and I can't fight it any more<strong>  
><strong>Oh I know, I should go<strong>  
><strong>But I need your touch just too damn much<strong>

**Loving you, That isn't really something I should do**  
><strong>I shouldn't wanna spend my time with you ya<strong>  
><strong>Well I should try to be strong<strong>  
><strong>But baby you're the right kind of wrong<strong>  
><strong>Ya, baby you're the right kind of wrong<strong>

**It might be a mistake**  
><strong>A mistake I'm makin'<strong>  
><strong>But what your giving I am happy to be taking<strong>  
><strong>Cause no one's ever made me feel<strong>  
><strong>The way I feel when I'm in your arms<strong>

**They say your somethin I should do without**  
><strong>They don't know what goes on<strong>  
><strong>When the lights go out<strong>  
><strong>There's no way to explain<strong>  
><strong>All the pleasure is worth all the pain<strong>

**Loving you, That isn't really something I should do ya-hey**  
><strong>I shouldn't wanna spend my time with you ya<strong>  
><strong>Well I should try to be strong<strong>  
><strong>But baby you're the right kind of wrong<strong>  
><strong>Ya, baby you're the right kind of wrong<strong>

**I should try to run but I just can't seem to**  
><strong>'Cause every time I run your the one I run to<strong>  
><strong>Can't do without what you do to me,<strong>  
><strong>I don't care if I'm in to deep yeah<strong>

**I know all about,**  
><strong>Yea about your reputation<strong>  
><strong>And now it's bound to be a heartbreak situation<strong>  
><strong>But I can't help it if I'm helpless<strong>  
><strong>Every time that I'm where you are<strong>

**You walk in and my strength walks out the door**  
><strong>Say my name and I can't fight it any more<strong>  
><strong>Oh I know, I should go<strong>  
><strong>But I need your touch just too damn much<strong>  
><strong>Hey-yeah<strong>

**Loving you, yeah, isn't really something I should do**  
><strong>I shouldn't wanna spend my time with you ya<strong>  
><strong>Well I should try to be strong, I should try to be strong<strong>  
><strong>But baby you're the right kind of wrong (right kind of wrong)<strong>  
><strong>Baby you're the right kind of wrong<strong>  
><strong>Baby you're the right kind of wrong<strong>

**Yeah baby you're the the right kind of wrong**


End file.
